Podnews Daily - podcast industry news
Daily news for people in podcasting - from Apple Podcasts to Spotify and YouTube; Amy Poehler to Crime Junkie and Joe Rogan, indie podcasting to the biggest hits. Whether it's the newest show from Goalhanger, the latest signing from The Ringer, advertising information from Magellan AI or Podtrac, research including the most popular podcasts to listen to, or updates from The Daily from The New York Times, we cover it all, every weekday. Podnews also covers the latest podcast jobs and events - and we help you with new podcasts to listen to. Our podcast is updated weekdays at 7a...
Libsyn podcast ad revenue grew 48% in 2025
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Libsyn’s podcast ad revenue grew 48% last year, the company has announced; downloads are up 17%, and the company served 4.5 billion ad impressions in 2025 - up 46%. The number of creators monetising on the platform has increased more than 2.5x. The company announced that the Libsyn Audience Network is now broadly available: a way for advertisers to buy across Libsyn shows. Libsyn is making its SXSW debut next week at...Podbean suddenly switches off DAI
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Podcast hosting company Podbean has abruptly pulled its dynamic ad insertion tool across the whole of Europe. No notice was given; the affected countries imply that there is a concern with GDPR compliance. The company launched PodAds in 2019. “We rely on dynamic insertion,” one customer told us, “and without prior warning, this has a huge impact on us”. The company told Podnews that the decision was "based on a combination of evolving...AI in podcasts: when should you disclose it?
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When should you say you use AI in your podcast? RSS.com’s Alberto Betella has produced a new website called ’should I disclose’ to help creators know whether they should label their podcast episodes as AI-generated. The guidelines suggest disclosure is based on substance, rather than merely tools. It has an interactive questionnaire asking you six questions to help; and also links to platform guidelines. When contacted by Podnews, Eric N...Cumulus files for bankruptcy, again
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Cumulus Media has filed for bankruptcy. The company, which owns the Cumulus Podcast Network and Westwood One, is trying to eliminate around $600mn of debt. It’ll continue operating under chapter 11 protection in the meantime. Competitors iHeartMedia filed for bankruptcy in Mar 2018, emerging in May 2019. Audacy also filed for bankruptcy in Jan 2024 (emerging in Sept). Cumulus itself last filed for bankruptcy less than ten years ago, in...Frequency tunes into Flightpath for realtime monetization
Sponsored by Riverside. Video is becoming central to podcast growth. One leading show expanded to video with Riverside and saw 15% RSS growth. Expand your reach with Riverside without rebuilding your stack. Start for free.
Exclusive: Predictive analytics and forecasting tool Flightpath has joined forces with monetisation company Frequency to give publishers a clear view of real-time sales opportunities across their network. The companies suggest it’s the foundation for an industry-wide solution to unsold podcast inventory; and describe it as “smarter monetization”. “It looks like you’re analysing your podcast's data. Would you like some help with that?” Podscribe ha...Cheaper Audible for podcast-lovers
Sponsored by Riverside. Ready to grow your podcast beyond audio? One leading show expanded from audio to video with Riverside and saw 15% RSS growth. Scale without rebuilding your workflow. Start for free.
Audible has a new, lower-priced, subscription offering for people who really like podcasts. The $8.99 “standard” plan gives users unlimited access to Audible Originals, as well as nearly 200 shows previously available on Wondery+. You also get access to one audiobook a month. This replaces Wondery+, which has been announced to be closing “in the coming months”. Not all of those shows are making it to Audible. If you a...Podcasts get AI visuals to help video transition
Sponsored by Riverside. Video is reshaping the podcast landscape. One show expanded to video with Riverside and grew RSS 15%. Expand your reach without rebuilding your stack. Start for free
Want to take a popular podcast and turn it into video - but you have no actual video? The BBC is launching five AI-animated video adaptations of its Witness History podcast. Here’s the first, about the labradoodle, produced with Singapore’s 1UpMedia and following the BBC’s AI Editorial Guidance. 1UpMedia’s Guang Jin Yeo tells Podnews that the company has worked on a structured workflow designed for broadcas...Audacy connects creators to YouTube
Sponsored by Riverside. Is your podcast ready to grow beyond audio? One team expanded from audio to video with Riverside and saw 15% RSS growth. Scale your show without rebuilding your workflow. Start for free
Exclusive: The free podcast hosting platform from Audacy, Audacy Creator Lab, has now added an integration with YouTube, allowing creators to publish video directly to their YouTube accounts. “Podcasting today is no longer audio or video - it’s both,” said Head of Podcasts Leah Reis-Dennis. The new feature simplifies workflow for podcast creators; the company describes it as a “first step in video distribu...Podcasts overtake spoken-word radio
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For the first time in history, podcasts are now bigger than spoken-word radio, according to new data from Edison Research at SSRS. This time ten years ago, podcasting was more than seven times smaller than AM/FM radio, which was a dominant force in spoken-word listening. But, over the last decade in the US, the share of time spent using AM/FM radio to listen to spoken-word audio has al...Revealed: Podcast Movement NYC
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Exclusive: Podcast Movement in New York will be part of an ambitious, week-long event in mid-September, Podnews can reveal today. The venue will be Terminal 5, an iconic venue in New York City’s Hell's Kitchen district. We’ve all the details. The event will take place September 14-18, with two days of The Sounds Profitable Business Summit (Sep 14/15), a mid-week pause for the IAB Upfronts, and Podcast Movement (Sep 17...‘Wisecrack’ walks away with four awards
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The winners of the sixth annual Ambies awards were announced last night - Tenderfoot TV’s Wisecrack walked away with four awards including Podcast of the Year. Jodie Tovay, the co-host, accepted the award, noting twice that the show had been turned down by all the major (television) streamers. Kara Swisher was given the Governors Award. You can watch the ceremony here. Good news: while Apple’s general specification for HL...The Ambies will livestream tonight
Sponsored by CoHost. Is your podcast audience truly growing? Explore CoHost’s New Listener metric that reveals how many people are discovering your podcast for the very first time.
Due to the weather - not least, the cancellation of all trains into NYC - The Ambies award ceremony, due to take place last night, was postponed until tonight. In a new development, you’ll be able to livestream it, from 8pm ET. We’ll have all the winners tomorrow. Goalhanger boss Tony Pastor spoke at MIP London, saying people are connecting with podcasts that “no commissioner at a TV stati...Ad-skipping in podcasts is ‘surprisingly low’
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Podcast ad skipping "isn’t as bad as I thought”, says Bumper’s Dan Misener, suggesting that - for Bumper’s clients - for most shows, 90% of their audience listen right through the ad breaks. He concludes “The longer your ad break, the greater your ad avoidance, and the lower your ad retention”. The CEO of Netflix, Ted Sarandos, was on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning. The company has dona...No, podcasts aren’t “video-first”
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With all the excitement about video podcasting this week, you'd be forgiven for thinking that podcast consumption is now video-first. New US data released today by Triton Digital says that it isn't: only 7% of people exclusively watch podcasts; 80% of podcast listeners both watch and listen. The data is part of Triton Digital's 2025 Podcast Report, which is a free (with registration) download. Triton Digital's Omny Studio was a launch partner of Apple Po...Global puts podcasts and radio in the driving seat
Sponsored by CoHost. Stop guessing what holds listener attention. CoHost’s consumption metrics reveal where listeners stay engaged, where they leave, and which episodes actually deliver value.
Global, which owns radio and podcast companies including Captivate in the UK and ad exchange DAX, has launched its Global Player app directly in cars, through Android Automotive. It means that podcasts and radio stations are available in cars from BMW, MINI Volvo, Polestar, Renault and Nissan - without fiddling with your phone. The app includes many third-party podcasts; indeed, you can enjoy our daily podcast update directly on Global Player. Mo...Podcast app adds x-rated chapter images
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A new feature from Android podcast app PodcastAddict has been adding x-rated chapter images to podcasts, without creator consent. The Digitalia podcast discussed a successful court appeal by a website against age verification laws in Italy; and called the podcast chapter "(WebsiteName) Wins", as you can see above. But, PodcastAddict has a feature enabling automatic chapter images, which a listener had turned on: that displayed an x-rated image for that chapter; wh...Apple Podcasts launches video - all the details
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Apple Podcasts announced support for video podcasts in the next version of iOS. Unlike Spotify or YouTube, your podcast host will continue to host the video files, using HLS to deliver video in good quality. However, it only works with participating podcast hosts; Apple has launched with just four participating companies: Acast, ART19, Omny Studio and Simplecast. For the first time, dynamic advertising will be available for video podcasting. Apple Po...Catch up when you fill up: the podcast at the pumps
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Filling up with fuel is now a great place to also learn more about a new podcast. Purple Daily, a Minnesota Vikings podcast from Gamut Podcast Network, will now accompany you as you fill up your car at regional gas stations Kwik Trip in the area. As you fill up, you get a 30 second taster on the gas pump screen. Here's a video of the whole thing. Hosting on Substack? A Gu...Podcasts from the Epstein Files
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Joe Rogan has plenty of fans - including one who, in 2017, asked a friend "Could you introduce me, I think he's funny". That person? Jeffrey Epstein. Today, Podnews looks at the Epstein podcast files - shows he listened to, that he was recommended, podcasts he was asked to help pay to make, and even the video podcasts filmed in his house. Cheap and relatively dumb flip phones are selling well, for...Rob and Elsie join Captivate
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Exclusive: Rob and Elsie are back working together in podcasting today, with the news that Captivate has appointed Rob Walch and Elsie Escobar. Rob Walch is VP of Podcaster Relations, working with Captivate and DAX US on its podcast advertising and monetisation offering; Elsie Escobar is Creator Success & Community Manager, supporting creators and community growth. They both come from Libsyn. They'll also be back behind the microphone, as the new host...Premium subscription tool Supercast acquired
Sponsored by CoHost. Who’s listening to your podcast? CoHost’s B2B Analytics reveals companies, industries, and job roles tuning in, helping brands connect podcasting to pipeline.
Red Seat Ventures, part of FOX's Tubi group, has acquired premium subscription tool Supercast. Terms weren't given. Supercast’s top 10 podcasters gross more than $26 million per year in subscription revenue, the press release notes; paid subscriptions are a fast-growing part of the podcast ecosystem. Acast partnered with Supercast last April; Supercast is also used by Huberman Lab and This American Life. First look: The Ambies award ceremony this year will be hos...A Super Bowl ad gets amplified with podcast
Sponsored by CoHost. Who’s listening to your podcast? CoHost’s B2B Analytics reveals companies, industries, and job roles tuning in, helping brands connect podcasting to pipeline.
Theo Von and The Roost Podcast Network did a clever campaign for Pepsi over the weekend - amplifying the effect of the Pepsi Superbowl "The Choice" ad, with the bear popping into This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von. A clever way to get more value from the TV spot. (The Roost's Catherine Brown writes more about it on LinkedIn). A new show has been announced by Goalhanger - The Book Club...Daily Beast partners with Daylight Media
Sponsored by CoHost. Who’s listening to your podcast? CoHost’s B2B Analytics reveals companies, industries, and job roles tuning in, helping brands connect podcasting to pipeline.
The Daily Beast has signed with Daylight Media for ad sales, distribution and monetization of The Daily Beast's portfolio of podcasts, including The Daily Beast Podcast, Inside Trump's Head and Obsessed. Podtrac released its January ranker. Overall, total audience was up for January over December. The Ezra Klein Show is highest new entry at #14. The ranker measures participating publishers only. Ultimate Pods is a new app that bills itself "the futu...'Post Reports' cancelled amid massive layoffs
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The Washington Post cut more than a third of its employees, including more than 300 of its 800 newsroom staff. We gather that their audio department has been "all but eliminated". The flagship podcast Post Reports is cancelled - and did not publish yesterday; the show reached almost half a million people a month, according to Podscribe. The host of the show, Martine Powers, is one of those affected; there are reports that the company has...Significant new podcast company launches in UK
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In the UK, comedians Elis James and John Robins, alongside long-term producer Dave Masterman, have teamed up to launch a brand new production company: Significant Productions. The trio have made some of the UK's most successful podcasts over the past twelve years. First look: Analytics and management solution Podstock has announced agreements with a number of sports media brands including Goalhanger, Playmaker, and others - joining existing publishers including Locked On and Blue Wire.<...The Golden Lobes return for 2026
Sponsored by CoHost. Looking for better podcast insights? CoHost combines hosting, analytics, and audience insights so you can finally measure podcast performance with confidence.
UK comedy podcast awards The Golden Lobes are open for entries. In 2025, winners included both solo creators and global platforms; the awards now have a wider number of categories (including a 'Best International Show' for shows made outside the UK), and the prize isn't just a trophy, but £5000 worth of prizes. Sony Playstation has been awarded a patent to use AI to present podcasts from game characters. Here's the patent in full. The podcasts w...New voice cleaning tool from audio specialists
Sponsored by CoHost. Looking for better podcast insights? CoHost combines hosting, analytics, and audience insights so you can finally measure podcast performance with confidence.
A new voice enhancement tool, Voice Regen, has been launched - but this one is different. It's from Waves Audio, an Emmy® and Technical Grammy® Award-winning audio technology company, rather than a random guy with an AI account. The tool provides content creators with instant, professional-quality voice cleanup. It removes background noise, room echo, and fixes uneven volume. Pricing starts for free, but $4.99 currently gets WAV export and 300 minutes a month. It also does vi...Concern about “breaking point” of podcast ads
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"Some true crime podcast episodes have hit a 34% ad load. One minute of ads for every two minutes of show." A new website has appeared, criticising the increasing amount of advertising in podcasts. The numbers are compelling - and the site suggests that some genres have already reached breaking point in the number of ads they carry. While the website is advertising for an ad-skipping podcast app, it poses a number of valid questions a...Video podcasts leads to audio consumption
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Perhaps video is the new gateway drug for podcasting. 72% of new podcast listeners, and 68% of long-time podcast listeners say they have started listening to the audio-only version of a podcast after discovering its video version. That's according to data that Edison Research revealed earlier this week in The Evolving Ear. The company also says that video podcasts are now more popular than audio-only podcasts...First Podcast Movement Evolutions speakers announced
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First look: Podcast Movement Evolutions at SXSW has unveiled the first wave of speakers, including the acclaimed storyteller MrBallen. There will be live programming through the weekend, as well as a morning keynote from YouTube. Opting in for Spotify Video? You'll harm the measurability of your podcast, warns Podscribe in an email to subscribers today. This harms your measurement whether your listeners choose video...Wondercraft launches AI Video Studio
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Wondercraft launched a new AI Video Studio, that can - among other things - make videos from your podcasts, with animations and images. The tool allows you to select what kind of outcome you want (a business video, a social promo, etc), and give it your podcast's audio (or a prompt about what audio you want). You can even set an avatar of your...Podcast Show London announces advisors
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The Podcast Show London 2026 has announced its Advisory Board, including Steve Ackerman, Ruth Fitzsimons, Arif Noorani, Vicky Etchells, and our Editor, James Cridland. The event, which takes place in late May, also outlined its submission process for speakers and sessions. First Release discount passes close on Jan 30 - so if you want to save up to £100 (US$135) on tickets then you'll want to book now. (Podnews subscribers save even more). Podcast app Truefans has closed a f...A new top 50 US podcasts ranker for Q4/2025
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Edison Podcast Metrics released the top 50 Podcasts in the US for Q4/25. No change in the top five, but new entries from, among others, The Diary of a CEO, Dumb Blonde, and Not Gonna Lie with Kylie Kelce. Serial, which had been in the chart forever, has finally dropped out of the top 50, more than 11 years since its release. The top 5 differs from Podtrac's global multi-channel ranker announced last week; of course, it's US-only rather th...Actor Sean Bean to host a podcast
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The actor Sean Bean is hosting a podcast for the first time. He has been announced as the new host of the Get Birding podcast. The two-time BAFTA TV & International Emmy-winning actor, who is globally recognised for his starring roles in The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, grew up as a keen birdwatcher. For the past few months, Libsyn has been unable to correctly offer "301 redirects" for all customers, meaning that it's hard to swit...The podcast awards that aren’t all they seem
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Exclusive: Podnews has investigated The International Podcast Awards, a new award ceremony launched last year in Arizona, and discovered a website with misleading images, made-up winners, and a unique business model. As we report today, it's an award that looks great... but looks aren't everything. The Ambie Awards nominations were announced yesterday. Winners in 32 categories will be selected by the full voting membership of TPA; there are 227 no...What a complete ranker
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Podtrac launched a new, global, multi-channel podcast ranker that measures podcast consumption across media platforms and content types - including, for the first time, video clips in Instagram, TikTok and YouTube Shorts. The number 1 is The MeidasTouch Podcast, which appears to see around 43% of its consumption via video clips, rather than full-length podcasts. Joe Rogan is at #2, with roughly equal consumption in audio and video, but ju...New CBC/Toronto Star show to focus on former Olympic snowboarder
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CBC and the Toronto Star have announced a partnership between CBC's Uncover and the Toronto Star's Suspicion, two hit investigative crime podcast series. A new podcast, as yet untitled, will tell the story of Ryan Wedding, a Canadian Olympic snowboarder turned FBI Most Wanted fugitive and alleged drug lord. It'll come out later this year on both feeds. Podspun is a new tool that turns your podcast in...Podcast Hall of Fame pays its respects
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Dave Ramsey led tributes to Dan Miller, the host of the 48 Days to the Work You Love podcast, at the Podcast Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Friday evening. The popular podcaster was given the recognition posthumously, accepted by his family who attended the event. He died in Jan 2024. The awards also remembered Hall of Famer Todd Cochrane, who passed away last September. New inductees to the Hall of Fame included former attorney...Podfest kicks off twelfth annual event in Orlando
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Podfest kicked off its twelfth annual event, with an expected attendance of 2,000 people under a new CEO, Nick Pavilidis. There's a full schedule here. The organisation expanded its "Podtours" across North America, and claims significant growth. The Podcast Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is at Podfest tonight at 7pm with a record attendance - 2026 inductees include our Editor, James Cridland. Podcast Movement Evolutions will be at SXSW this year; more details have been...CNN’s deal for video podcasts with Lemonada
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A new platform for video podcasts has appeared. CNN has struck a deal with Lemonada Media for video podcasts on CNN's All Access streaming service. Some existing shows will be made available to CNN subscribers. Unlike recent Netflix deals, though, these shows will continue to be available on all other platforms. Netflix announced a new video podcast, The Pete Davidson Show. The...
